Former Chicago Bulls: Cameron Payne on fire with the Suns

Former Chicago Bulls point guard Cameron Payne is finding a lot more success in the restart with the Suns than he did in the Windy City.

There were a lot of teams during the NBA’s season restart at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, FL, with 22 teams participating that needed to find answers out of free agency. Between the opt-outs and any players that were held out due to injury, leaving the bubble, or actual positive tests for the novel coronavirus, the 22 NBA teams at Disney World were often left finding depth answers in the last three weeks. But the Chicago Bulls were not one of those since they weren’t competing in the NBA’s bubble restart plan at Disney World.

Even though the Bulls weren’t playing, the hoops fans in the Windy City weren’t left without at least finding some former players to root for. The most notable of the former Bulls players competing in the season restart included Miami Heat star small forward Jimmy Butler, Los Angeles Clipper veteran center Joakim Noah, and Milwaukee Bucks veteran shooting guard/small forward Kyle Korver.

But there were some underrated players that were signed out of free agency just ahead of the restart that are notable former Bulls players too. The likes of current Phoenix Suns point guard Cameron Payne, Brooklyn Nets veteran point guard Jamal Crawford, and Washington Wizards guard Jerian Grant, all found homes just ahead of the restart at Disney World.

And maybe the biggest surprise out of the free agent signings among former Bulls players for the restart was Payne. He had last played for the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Bulls last season. Payne got to play in 31 games for the Bulls last season, and nine for the Cavaliers. He started in 13 total games between his time with the Bulls and Cavaliers last season too.

In his run with the Suns through the NBA’s restart, he played in just eight games. But Payne really left his mark this season with the Suns in that brief stint at Disney World. The Suns won every single game in the restart, and somehow still missed the playoffs to the Portland Trail Blazers (who just knocked off the Memphis Grizzlies on Aug. 15 in a play-in game for the eight seed in the Western Conference).

Payne managed 10.9 points per game, 3.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.3 blocks, in his eight games played with the Suns in the restart. He did that while shooting 48.5 percent from the field, 51.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 85.7 percent from the free-throw line.

That amounted to a career-best 1.3 box plus/minus rating, .120 win shares per 48 minutes, a 61.2 true shooting percentage, and a 15.7 player efficiency rating. He also had a career-best 115 offensive rating, and a better than usual 110 defensive rating in those eight games played this season.

The Suns did get Payne for two seasons when they signed him ahead of the restart. He could actually be a key part of their backcourt rotation coming off the bench next season. And he was signed to a value cost, at just under $2 million for next year.